Hi Heidi! I´m a young swedish woman who about a year ago began to follow the type O diet. I´ve always liked red meat (especially moose meat) so that part of the diet was no problem. I’ve also always been eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. Potatoes are very popular food in Sweden, but they are not a big trouble for me - never liked them anyway. The challenge is to find good, healthy substitutes for pasta, bread and dairy.

I haven’t yet found anyone in Sweden who can determine my secretor status, but I’m assuming that I’m a secretor and I feel very well on the type O secretor diet. I have become more alert and experience that my brain works quicker. I am off my asthma medication and the sinus problems I’ve suffered from as far as I can remember has improved considerably. Even though I don´t have time to exercise as much as I would like to, I´m losing fat and gaining muscles.

My husband is even more exalted about the BTD than I am. Before he knew his bloodtype he realized that almost all the foods that he likes (except icecream) are listed as beneficial or at least neutral for type B, while everything he doesn’t like is on the type B avoid list. Guess who was overjoyed when he got to know his bloodtype - he is a type B!

There are some things that concerns me. My waist is getting smaller but I’m not losing weight. I was hoping to lose weight, as I’m far too heavy. I am overweigt, but I’m not considering myself as ”fat” even though my BMI is as high as 32! I’m 64 inches tall and weigh 187 pounds (hope I did the calculations right, we use other units in Sweden). When I have the weight where I’m feeling most comfortable I weigh about 145 pounds and it will make a BMI at about 25,5. I’ve had that weight before (about 10 years ago) and would like to reach it again, and keep it. I am robust, with a very heavy bone structure and I have always been very strong. It seems as I just have to think about exercising to make my muscles grow! Even before I was on the diet I was very muscular, now my muscles are growing bigger and bigger… …what am I going to look like?

I love exercising and I feel so good, so relaxed and pleased with myself after a hard training pass at the gym or after a fast inline-skating or biking race or an aerobic class. Can you please explain to me how to interpret the BMI-factor? In some places I’ve read that the BMI should be between 19-24, while others say that 18-19 is the optimum. Somewhere I’ve seen a table saying that if your BMI is above 25 it means that you are overweight and above 30 you’re defined as fat or even obese. Can it really be true that a robust person like me should have the same BMI as a slender person?

There’s also another thing that causes a problem for me - cheese! I love cheese! And as I’m on the diet, and convinced to stay on the diet, I just have to watch my type B husband eating camembert, cheddar and parmesan… …not to mention all the Swedish cheeses, those with small holes and a dense texture - some of them mild and some with a strong, assertive flavor… YUMMY! Well, I know cheese isn’t the best you can eat if you want to lose weight, but I sometimes have feta cheese or mozzarella, which are neutral for type O secretors. But now I would like to know: is there any difference between different types of feta and/or mozzarella cheeses? I mean, is feta made of sheep’s or goat’s milk more healthy for type Os than cow’s milk feta? And how about ”mozzarella di bufala” - the real Italian mozzarella which is made of milk from water buffalos - is it better than mozzarella made from cow’s milk? Most mozzarellas available in groceries in Sweden are imported from Italy and many of them are made of cow’s milk, while some more expensive ones are made of milk from buffalos. Goat cheese is also listed as neutral, but how about cheese (other than feta cheese) made of sheep’s milk? For example, in well-sorted groceries I’ve seen French sheep cheeses (they’re not cheap!) and ”pecorino” which is an Italian, parmesan-like cheese, also made of milk from sheep. What about those cheeses for Os? for other bloodtypes? (probably good for Bs anyway!)And how about camembert made of goat's milk? What is farmer cheese? It is also listed as neutral but I haven’t found it in any dictionary and have no idea about what it is. Can you please explain to me what kind of cheese it is.

Last, but not least, I would like to thank you so very much for your column. I feel both delighted and enlightened by reading your often quite humouristic answers to questions from people all over the world. Best wishes, Ylva.

Ylva! Now, here is an O close to my own heart: a full long paragraph of questions all about cheese! :-D I'll get to that issue in a moment.

First, I agree that 187 pounds at 5'5" is too heavy for you and that a full year on this plan should have done more than reduce your waistline. The BMI is useful for people of average bone weight, average build, and average muscle development ~ for everyone else, there are better means of ascertaining one's bodymass-to-fat ratio. You can monitor body fat loss by using calipers, which can measure fairly precisely the change in size of the "pinch" taken weekly at the same place on the abdomen or arm, for example. Or, if your physician is one of the rare ones who possess the necessary machinery, bioelectric impedence testing is a highly reliable method of establishing your true "mass makeup." Considering the relative costs, I'd go with the calipers! :-)

Weight loss for some individuals is achieved only through sticking 99-100% to the Beneficial list. It's possible you're one of them. :-} You did not mention what your representative daily diet & exercise routine is, but based on your results, here are some general suggestions.

(1) Diet: If possible, get hold of Live Right 4 Your Type. There are specific portions and frequencies listed for each food category (I'd adhere strictly to them). Until you have the book, use the TYPEbase 3 database on our main page here to check items individually. For a period of two months, eat only the Beneficials for secretors -- minimize the neutrals to as near 0% as you can, and avoid those avoids like the plague. Now you're wishing your arms were long enough so you could reach my neck, ;-D but believe me, this is not forever!! It's only to jump-start the weight loss AND to give you a reference point for your own ideal weight-loss diet. When you add in a neutral or two at the end of that time, keep a close eye on how your weekly fat loss rate compares to the Bene-Only period. If the scale shows stuck again, or wants to edge up a bit, or your "pinch" grew rather than shrank, you have learned something of great importance about specific food items that no one else could have told you!!

I also suggest you drink one gallon (say, nearly four liters) of pure water each day, away from meals. I will not cry if you drink only three liters instead, but promise me you'll keep the volume at least that high.

Emphasize seaweeds and dark green leaf veg among the Beneficial veggies, and have one to three cups of green tea daily. Fresh fish or red meat at least once per day.

(2) Activity: get one good workout every other day. Let me play that old broken record of mine once more: exercise is a full 1/2 partner in the BTD, and confers wonderful unexpected side-effects! ;-D Take advantage of your love of exercise!!

Now to the cheese questions: I refuse to answer on the grounds that it might tempt you to indulge in those lovely goodies!

{just kidding... sort of. ;-> }

When you've concluded your two-month ALL BENEFICIAL regimen, feel free to plan a once-weekly cheese treat. Any sheep or goat cheese is OK, except those camembert/brie or moldy (bleu) types. And only one ounce at a time. Aw, don't glare at me like that ~ I'm just reporting the portion/frequency allowances from LR4YT! :-D Farmer's cheese is nearly the same as cottage cheese without the noticeable curds ~ simple and fresh. Mozzarella di bufalo is the best sort of mozz! Mind you, if your sinuses send you a signal after eating cheese, once again you've made a personal health-enhancing discovery, for free! :-)

I am truly pleased that both you and your husband enjoy the BTD and are seeing benefits. Now, I'm looking forward to hearing your results on your 100% beneficials experiment, and a weekly caliper report! best wishes, dear!!

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i am o type.what is the status type for hibiscus, elderflower & rose? these ingrediants are regularly used in herbal teas and i cannot identify if they benefit etc.anywhere. please help in case i undo all my hard work by ingesting an avoid albeit unwittingly. ps;i'm tired of people telling me i'm becoming obsessed about food just because i want to choose to eat healthily (not just friends but even my blooming doctor said it!) have you got any suitable fresh retorts i can sling back as i'm running out of ideas, short of shooting them! thanks ~ debbie

Hello, debbie ~ :-D Rosehips are a wonderful vitamin C source for all types, so I doubt the petals (organic!) are harmful for you. Elderberries are beneficial, so I'd posit a neutral status for the flower. Hibiscus is a great "female balancer" for all types. :-)

About those maddening "friends and physicians:" I've found that

"When one who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, they will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest." ~ Anonymous

So, rather than a retort (stressful for the giver as well as the receiver) I suggest employing a light, mad giggle. Smile! Say, "Really?" Giggle again! "You don't say!" Big smile! Work on this in the mirror. Get so good at it that you can effortlessly switch to it at a moment's notice in the most "maddening" situation. If someone asks why you're laughing, shrug say "Just feeling cheerful, I guess!"

P.S.: You may want to keep your friends despite their conspicuous lack of support, but I'd get shut of the doctor. Being dismissed as a monomaniac is one thing, but paying for the privilege is adding injury to insult, I'd say.

;-)

take care, and enjoy yourself, dear! Happiness, after all, is the best retort anyone can make. ~;-D

Dear Heidi, I love reading your column, you seem to radiate this lovely warm energy! I live in the UK and was wondering how I could be tested for my A sub-type and my mn/mm/nn status. If it turned out I was the rarer A2 who does well on more oily fish than A1, but my mn status was nn, making me highly intolerant to fat, which factor would rule? Also, if I was nn, could I still eat stuff like peanut butter and goat's cheese with a clear conscience? Do you know if there are any courses on nutrition, herbs etc. the Blood Type Diet way in the UK, preferably London? I have been fascinated by nutrition and alternative health for years but most courses have a more conventional philosophy that I don't believe in a hundred percent. Thanks, Olympia.

Hey there, Olympia! If I were you, I'd ask the nurse at your medico's office what diagnostic lab they use. Then, phone the lab. Get the procedure, costs and request forms for the tests you want, then take that information to your doc or clinic. I also suggest posting a note to Tom Greenfield's BTD-UK forum, as the local folks there might have excellent suggestions, not only for the typing but for that nutrition course! About the NN type, it is the rarest of that series, and you'd probably already have been pegged as a high-cholesterol-spiker, but write back when you obtain your results! I'm excited!! :-D

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I am type o and my husband is A type. He has arthritis. We would like to drink "jason winters" herbal tea. The first ingrediant is red clover. Would this be a beneficial tea. Sincerely, Karen

Hello, Karen ~ Does your husband have osteo or rheumatoid arthritis? I would not suggest red clover, as it was valued at "avoid" for As in BTD, and I have no new rating for it. Write back with the type of arthritis he's suffering with, and I'll do my best! Take care of YOU!! :-)

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Hi there. I'm an avid enthusist of the A type path, but I'm curious. I cant find where Saw Palmetto stands with my diet. I use it firstly for my hair(Which it HAS brought back, & stopped the recession of)& also to fend of future prostae problems. It is bennificial, nuetral or bad for me. I hope it's o.k, cuz I'm gett'n used to my(New)hair the way it is. Thanks for your advice... Jeff

:-) Jeff, saw palmetto is listed in the Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia as good for several blood types, under the "men's health" protocol at least. It is fine for As! And... great tip about the hair re-growth! thanks, buddy!!

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Hi I started the blood type diet 1 week ago...Never thought I would see myself eating tofu!! It's not as bad as I thought. I am blood type A There are alot of recipes that call for miso and scallions.. We live in a very small town (1200 people) and cannot get these here. Is there something else for my type that I can substitute? Thank you, Claudette

Hi, Claudette! Glad you're developing a taste for that tofu! :-D Well, scallions are young green onions, finger-thick from the little white bulb right through the long, dark greens. You could substitute onions and/or chives. Miso is a salty, fermented paste... that's a bit more difficult to replace satisfactorily, although a mix of dark tamari and tahini (sesame paste) might give a similar taste... if you can find those items in your town! I strongly encourage you to consider shopping online for foods unavailable to you in local stores -- a large, trustworthy national provisioner

like Whole Foods is a great place to start. Also, make use of search engines like www.alltheweb.com, surf around, and have fun with it! Many thousands use online services for hard-to-locate foods every day, especially bulk or preserved stuff. Let me know how you do!

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Dear Heidi; I enjoy reading your columns every day and thought I might be able to help a little with the proportions on the vegetable glycerine questions. I experimented when I was making pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. A one-to-one substitution of glycerine for white sugar left an odd taste after each bite of pie. One-half to one (one-half cup glycerine for each 1 cup of sugar called for in the recipe) tasted fine. I also cut back a little on the other liquid in the recipe but I'm not sure if that was really necessary. Mostly I read through the section in the Joy of Cooking on substituting liquid sugars and played around with those suggestions. I have yet to try using it in a cookie or cake recipe, but that's next. I definitely noticed a difference in my metabolic response to the pie with the glycerine - no sugar rush (and subsequent drop)! Hope this helps others who are wanting to use vegetable glycerine in their holiday cooking. Deborah

Ah! Deborah, thank you!!

Hi Heidi, Would vegetable glycerine be acceptable for people needing to eliminate sugar for candida? Thanks, Sharon in Alaska

Absolutely ~ it is an acceptable sweetener on anti-candida diets, and listed on this Candida FAQ page. :-)

Another reader wrote in with a concern that vegetable glycerine was implicated in the 1986 Austrian wine-poisoning episode. It was not glycerine ("glycerol") but rather propylene glycol -- chemists or oenophiles, please correct me if I'm off base here. That's the stuff that makes antifreeze taste sweet ~ and why so many animals lap it up every year, only to die within hours or days. HIGHLY TOXIC!!! At any rate, if it were veg gly doing the damage, I'd have been sweetly laid to my rest several times over by now! :-) SAFE!! No worries, mates!! :-D

if i and my wife are A blood.Does it mean that my children also are A blood.How do i get my childrens bloodgroup?Where do i go? Thank you!! Djani

Greetings, Djani ~ It is possible that your children are type A, but not certain. There is a chance that one or both are type O, if both you and your wife have a recessive O gene. Doctors can order the test for ABO group, but often charge a lot of money for it, or refuse for some reason. If your children were born in hospital, request the information there. It should be in the hospital records, or with the attending physician, and those medical records belong to YOU. :-) Also, the Red Cross in most areas will give you your ABO type if you donate blood. If these options won't work for you, write back and let me know whereabouts in the world you are. I'll go from there.

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I am wondering if the simple blood test kit that we can purchase in our health shop, which has four circles to which one adds with a sterile pipette some blood, and then matches this up to a number of options to get the blood type could not also be used for testing saliva? Jenny

Heidi, We are really thankful for your articles.We have had a question come up on one of the discussion lists. Saurkraut is listed as an avoid for O's. Most of the canned saurkraut I've seen uses vinegar, which we know is an avoid unless it is apple cidar vinegar. If saurkraut is made with salt instead in the old German way, is it still an avoid because it is fermented or does the fact that salt is used make it a neutral? Thank you. Sarah

Hi Heidi, I'm finally getting used to life without the message board. Anyway, I am 63 years old, Type O+, been on the Diet since August, 2001, and was diagnosed with moderately high blood pressure about 10 years ago; for the last two years have been taking 10 mg of Zestril daily. About 2 months ago, I heard of a study in which blood pressure patients where put on a regimin of one serving of oatmeal daily for 12 weeks. After that time, many were able to reduce their blood pressure medication dosage; if they discontinued the oatmeal regimin, they had to go back to the original dosage. Anyway, I started the regimin, and after only 2 weeks, began getting significantly lower blood pressure readings. After the third week, I cut my Zestril dosage to 5 mg. and the low readings continued. After about another 3 weeks, I cut the dosage to 2.5 mg. and now after 3 more weeks am continuing to get normal readings. I don't know if I will be able to eliminate the medication altogether, but am delighted with the results so far. I have an appointment with my doctor next week and will discuss that possibility. Anyway,I just wanted to pass this on since it seems like a pretty harmless way to lower your blood pressure...especially if you like oatmeal. Phil

Hey, thanks for the report, Phil! I've heard of oatmeal doing nice things for certain people with high cholesterol, but the blood pressure application is something new to me. Even though O secretors are advised to limit their grain intake to one serving six times per week, this sounds like a great thera-food-ic use of grain! Please keep me posted on whether the results persist if you discontinue the daily oatmeal... at any rate, it certainly is a great improvement over meds! thanks again!! :-D

Please help...I am interested in the supplement list for blood types, especillay "O" Thank you once again for all your help..it is greatly appreciated. Rose

Hey there, Rose ~ The Food, Beverage and Supplement List for O is available on our site here. Just click into the books section of the Store, you'll find it! :-)

Heidi - I am new to the BTD and am amazed at how wrong I've been eating all my life! I am a type B who lived on chicken, tomatoes, whole wheat, etc... and avoided dairy products because I thought they were bad for me! I have a question about soy - In the doctor's books he recommends the membrane fluidizer cocktail with lecithin. However, all I can find is soy lecithin in the local health food store. Is there any other type? Is it OK to use the soy lecithin if I can't find any other? And is the "hidden" soy in foods something to be avoided at all costs? Soooo many things seem to be made with soy (not to mention wheat!) like mayonnaise, salad dressings, etc. I was elated to be able to eat frozen yogurt but then found soy in that! Please help with an answer! Thank you so much. Carol

Soy lecithin is absolutely fine ~ however, there is a delicate dance between secretor and nonsecretor Bs and the soy foods allowed for each. Do check the TYPEbase 3 database for the latest updates, and compare those values with the ingredient lists of the foods you're interested in. And welcome to our world! :-)

hi, I'm excited about the possibilities of eating for a type O after reading Eat Right 4 Your Type and the booklet Blood Type O, Food Beverage and Supplement Lists. I found discrepancies among several of the food items that changed them from neutral to avoid, or vice versa. I'm now wondering if there is a more recent publication with different information, or how to find out about the most correct information available for type O. My concerns for myself are to increase my energy. I just turned 50 and lead an active life but find myself over the years quite fatigued for no apparent reason and getting worse even though I am of normal weight and get plenty of regular exercise. So I am going to cut out wheat to see how this affects me (I already use soy products), and I will avoid oranges, potatoes and peanuts. Basically everything else I eat is in your neutral category but need clarification on strawberries, cucumbers, sunflower seeds, eggplant, greek olives, barley, cabbage, and kiwi. Thanks for your help, Cindy

I am type A. I was wondering why peanuts and peanut butter are highly beneficial, but peanut oil is not. Thank you for clarifying this for me. Lynn

Hello, Lynn ~ Here is a column I wrote on peanut oil, and your question is answered in the next-to-last paragraph. Enjoy! :-)

WHAT ARE TYPE O SUPPOSED TO DRINK OTHER THAN WATER?CAN THEY HAVE KOOL-AID? FOR TYPE A- I`M HAVING TROUBLE FINDING 100% RYE BREAD. THEIR ALL MADE WITH WHEAT FLOUR.PLEASE HELP.AND THE GLUTEN-FREE BREAD IS MADE WITH GARBANZO BEANS AN AVOID FOR TYPE A. I`M HAVING TROUBLE FINDING ALFALFA SPROUTS AT TIMES. AND ALL OTHERS ARE CLOVER OR MIXD WITH CLOVER. YOU MENTION RED CLOVER AS AN AVOID FOR TYPE A BUT I WAS WONDERING IF CLOVER IS RED CLOVER? ALSO MY HUSBAND IS AN O TYPE AND LOVES PINTO BEANS (HE`S HISPANIC) IN ONE BOOK IT WAS LISTED AS A BENEFICAL AND ANOTHER AS AVOID. PLEASE EXPLAIN? CONNIE

Let's see: Type Os can drink juice made from beneficial or neutral fruits; juice made from beneficial or neutral vegetables; green tea; red wine; homemade almond or rice milk and any commercial almond, rice or soy milk which contains no avoids (nonsecretors should avoid soy in all forms); broth made from OK ingredients; the list goes on, but I doubt the ingredient list of Kool-Aid will pass muster. Full of corn syrup, isn't it? I'm not sure where you live, but do a web-search for "100% Rye Bread." Many are available online, or you could make a list of the companies you come up with and take it to your local organic grocer or health food store. Clover is clover of all kinds, for our purposes ~ unless the product specifically says "white clover." Pinto beans are one of the few items changed on your husband's food list: it is indeed an avoid. Thanks for writing!! :-)

Hi Heidi, I was reading the entry from Jayne in Ontario who wanted to know how to find out her secretor status. You can give Jayne my e-mail address if you wish. I had to explain what the Lewis typing is, using some information from your site. I live in Ontario and asked my physician to fill out the forms so I could get my Lewis typing done. Then I had to go to a hospital lab for the testing but they did do it and I now know that I am O non-secretor. I had suspected this. Alas no more apples, spelt or any kind of sweetener. I am finding it hard to give up on the latter to be compliant. Any ideas for substitutions? Sharon

Thanks for that report and your offer of help, Sharon! I will pass your address on to Jayne. Yeah, alas no apples... I feel that pain, believe me!

:-)

The best sweetener for O nons is vegetable glycerine ~ second best is blackstrap molasses, and other possibilities include fruit concentrates. Each has its place in cooking, depending on the flavor desired. Vegetable glycerine has a very neutral "sugar" taste. The O nonsecretor pantry is indeed quite bare in the sweetener, grain, bean and dairy department ~ but you'll soon settle right into the habit of the different food proportions in your diet, and it does become quite a happy fit... with the exception of those apples, perhaps! :-D The health benefits are well worth the dietary shift. The modifications don't mean I go hungry, and you won't, either. Just make the changes as you can, and allow time for the transition to pass. Thanks for your note! :-D

FOUND CONTRADICTIONS between the various books' food lists?

Here’s the scoop:

* IF YOU DO NOT KNOW YOUR SECRETOR STATUS: The Food, Beverage & Supplement Lists should be used. *

* IF YOU KNOW YOUR SECRETOR STATUS: The food lists in Live Right 4 Your Type and the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia should be used. ALSO check the official change log at http://www.dadamo.com/lr4yter.html for the most recent updates -- at a later date, an update area for other books will be created. *

I found out about the Blood type diet in Feb through my sister's herbalist. I have talked to her on the phone once, and then on through e-mail. She is trying to help me get off of estrogen and on just progesterone.

I also need to lose about 100 pounds. I have been on the Atkins diet off and on for 4 years. It always makes me feel better because it gets my blood sugar regulated, but I have a difficult time getting into ketosis, which he says will help to lose weight. When I found out I was Type A, I thought I probably didn't loose because I was eating all wrong for my blood type. I was so excited that I had finally found a diet that would help me lose and to be getting off of estrogen which I thought was keeping me from losing. Well, I have gained instead of losing. I did really good for 2 weeks, then I got PMS so bad and started eating everything. I have had 2 or 3 periods a month since trying to get off of estrogen. (I am 54 and haven't had period in about 4 years.) I have been depressed, etc. I am craving sweets. Although, last week I was due to have a period and I didn't, so maybe I am straightening out. I am still on 1/2 my estrogen.

My question, do you think it would be beneficial for me to go on the Atkins diet while eating for my blood type? I could eat chicken, turkey, salads, etc. Or, what suggestions do you have that will help me to lose weight? Is there any diet I could follow for losing weight. It seems that the people in the book just seem to lose weight when they started eating this way. I have been eating quite a bit of natural peanut butter (natural and no hydrogenated oil) on wasa krisp. Maybe I am eating too much of a good thing. Before I got on this diet, I ate a lot of cheese for the protein, so I changed to peanut butter.

(I am border-line diabetic and need to get weight off soon before the doctor puts me on medication.)

I would appreciate any suggestions and encouragement. I was really so excited about the diet, but have been off and on it for about a month. It seems difficult to get excited again. Thank you, Carolyn

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Hello, Carolyn ~ The A diet will certainly work for you. Right now, it will help you stick to the task if you understand why it has been so difficult to lose this weight.

Hypoglycemia, especially to the point of borderline diabetes, is the first thing you need to work on. Many type As give up on their diet because they suffer from hypoglycemia and have been self-treating the discomfort with dairy and meats. This makes them feel better for a little while, but rarely gets the weight all off and most important, it puts their health at serious risk. Of all the blood types, type A diabetics have the highest statistical rate of heart disease as a result of this metabolic imbalance. Please commit to your BTD plan now, and stick with it for a month! At that point, the cravings will have diminished to a manageable level! And remember that it will take far less time to regain your health than it took to gain the weight. Have faith, and hop right on the A plan with a vengeance. This way, the transition period will be brief ~ and you'll NEVER have to go through this again!

Your endocrine difficulties should almost completely resolve when you have gone a fair distance toward your ideal weight. In the meantime, look into using the supplement "maca." PennHerb.com has a great price on it, and a high-quality product. It's a sweet-tasting powder made from the root of the plant, which can be stirred into a little juice or dumped into a smoothie.

I strongly suggest getting the saliva secretor test available on this site, and following the diet for your A secretor status as outlined in Live Right 4 Your Type. Be sure to observe the guidelines on frequency and portions for each type of food. A key element in attaining your goals is appropriate activity, which is discussed at length in the book. Using a stress-relief practice such as yoga, meditation, or tai chi, will reduce cortisol levels, which will aid in weight loss, re-balance your hormonal system, and make you feel a heck of a lot better. :-)

Carolyn, believe me that I understand how depressed and unhappy about this situation you must be right now ~ but that will change once you see results. Write again when you've started the diet again. Hey, write every day if you would like! I will read it, and I care about how you are doing!! I'll offer any assistance and support I can offer, and I'm waiting for your first report!! :-)

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Hi! I'm A+ (with an A+ and an O+ parent). I used to suffer from undiagnosed duodenal ulcers. I will get quite a craving for meat if all I eat is tofu, fish and peanut butter. (Breast and other glandular cancers are rampant on both sides of my family.)

Given my O symptoms and cravings, but the A family risk, how should I approach your book? What is A2? Thanks, Marianna

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Hi, Marianna ~ I wouldn't characterize your cravings or symptoms as "type O," since there are no diseases which occur in only one type, and anyone who has not yet settled into their plan does often crave what they cannot have. A type O craving, in fact, is most likely to be wheat, corn or dairy! :-)

Type As with a recessive O gene do appear slightly more susceptible to ulcers than the "Aa" folks. This in no way affects their diet guidelines. A2 is one of the A subgroups, and there are some minor modifications to the A diet for that group. Given your A phenotype and your family history of cancer, it is MOST important for you to get your secretor status, MN type, A subtype, and follow the Live Right 4 Your Type diet with those results in mind. Please do engage in yoga and meditation daily! Those are the basic recommendations. There's a lot more to this than tofu & peanuts! and many more foods on the diet that will do you a great deal of good.

There is a multitude of things you can do to boost your immunity and make your body unfit for cancer. Please read Live Right cover to cover, re-read it, and use the Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia for specific protocols to protect against cancer and other serious diseases.

These are the tools that will keep you happy & healthy ~ take hold and use 'em! ;-)

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Heidi, I need to know how can I test myself for secretor or non-secretor in South Africa? Nandie

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Hi, Nandie ~ Ask your doctor or clinic for the saliva secretor test, OR the Lewis test. I know that labs in ZA do the Lewis test, although many doctors are not familiar with it. If you have their name at hand, call direct to the diagnostic laboratory your doctor uses. They can confirm it, which you then can bring to your doctor's attention.

Let me know how it goes, and thanks for asking!! :-)

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My blood type is A. I have been taking Prevacid (acid reflux pill) for a few years, probably because 95% of the foods I ate were on the "avoid" list. I have been on the diet for a few weeks. Should I eventually go off the Prevacid when I have encorporated many of the Highly Beneficial foods? Should I take an all natural digestive enzyme? Or will I not need any digestive enzyme eventually...or just stick to Pineapple? Thanks, Robin

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Hey there, Robin! Welcome to the BTD!

Will you be able to drop the drug? Definitely! Acid reflux is a result of eating the wrong foods, and/or overeating at a meal, and/or eating too late at night for your system to be able to digest before sleeping. It is most certainly NOT a "Prevacid deficiency." :-) To aid your progress, use a simple food separation routine: keep fowl, fish & egg meals free of rice or other grains ~ instead, prepare vegetarian meals including the rice. Drink plenty of water, but away from meals (to give your digestive juices a fighting chance). And finish your last meal of the day at least two hours before sleeping. Gentian is very helpful as a digestive, as is pineapple. For now, keep your meals comfortably small, as many beneficials as possible over the week, and get plenty of light exercise during your day ~ it helps every organ do its job smoothly and happily.

Dear Heidi: I look forward to reading your column whenever I can. It's always so informative. I just wanted to report that I stopped taking the insulin injections, because I had gained ~20 pounds on it. I've since lost 2 pounds a day, (for the last 3 days,) but I'm also following Eat Right more closely. I'm mostly eating only H.B. foods, and just meats/fish, veggies, and a little nuts. I've also started running again. Yesterday when I woke up, I felt GREAT! I hadn't felt that good in a long time, on or off the insulin. I wish I could program my brain to remember how good I feel after running or aerobics. I'm also taking the recommended supplements ~ once a day. My husband was handed "severance" papers a couple of weeks ago, so I've been trying to be a bit more frugal with the money. Can you tell me what you think is most important for controlling high blood sugar in O secretors? I have the Encyclopedia, and before I bought it, I bought some liquid herbs like dandelion, fenugreek, licorice, and bladderwrack, on clearance at a drugstore that was going out of business. They have glycerine in them, though. Is that ok for O secretors w/high blood sugar? Thank you for your time and help; I look forward to hearing from you. Judy

Great news, Judy! Yes, glycerine is fine for everyone, and is the only sweetener I know of that is actually 'good' for blood sugar levels ~ it boosts sugar metabolism. Sounds like you're having some long-looked-for success, and I'm so happy for you!!

From the looks of your other topics, this can go under: Potpourri AB -Artichokes. In the introductions to fruits and vegetables, Dr. D'Adamo says that artichokes are key in fighting disease for ABs, but in the list they are categorized as Avoid. Which is correct? I am curious because although I have been following this diet for over 3 years, (I overcame chronic fatigue as a senior in high school, lost 15 pounds and don't have gas , and I don't need to eat artichokes, they do come up and I would like to know if it would be best for me to delight in them or deny myself. Thank you for your time. Natalia

Greetings, Natalia! Artichokes are an avoid for ABs ~ the text portion was an inadvertent copy of the type A text. Take a look at the Updates Page, also linked at the bottom of the "Library" section on our main page. And what a wonderful report on your successes! Congratulations, and bless you for having begun this plan at an early age. And thank you for posting your great results!! :-)

In response to Q No. 5 (Body response to Food) 26/9/2002 More Potpouri~. My friend and I use our Chinese method. We observe colour, thinckness and softness of the tongue. I myself also aware on body secretion (smell, amount, and colour, this is my secret, I have not told anyone else; e.g. white sugar and flour makes the underarm and sweating beneath the breast smell sour like vinegar, also tendons are tight). I can also feel my heartbeat. It does show clearly in 5-10 minutes. Sometimes Body temperature is cooler after taken wrong food e.g. vegetable gum/milk. I dont really know the reason but guess that it is related to circulation. Thank you for taking time to read my silly notes. (I always correct my uncomfortable by these tiny observation. I believe everyone can feel their body's fluctaation. Stillness is a bliss and in the long run you can observation deeper and deeper) Didn't visit doctor over the past 20 years except once, to a Chinese doctor for finding out whether he is the "right DR" for my mum who is an AB and good at judging people. She won't take medicine if she doesn't like him) Lily A+

:-) Thanks, Lily! Astute points... and a smart mom! :-D

A lady at the gym where I worked out mentioned your book, so out of curiosity I checked it out of the library. I'm type O and I suffer from fibromyalgia. Since being diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 1999, I went from 140 lbs. to 205 lbs. In addition to the pain that I was dealing with my self esteem was very low. It seemed I had tried everything to loose the weight that I had packed on. When I read your book the first thing that jumped out at me was about the wheat. When you mentioned that if a type O will go off of wheat then they will lose weight even if they have failed in other attempts. I said what the heck. Since I'm also African American I also went off of dairy. This was in July, and the weight has just melted off. I haven't been to the gym because of my new promotion my schedule has been off. Even though I haven't been working out, the weight has been falling off. At the beginning of the summer I was wearing a size 16 - 18. I'm now wearing 10's and 12's. I'm wearing jeans again for the first time in 4 years. Others that have seen me have asked what have I done and I tell them about your book. I went to the health food store and found a thyroid supplement that has both kelp and bladder wrack. I'm on an Ultra B-Complex and calcium. I'm going back to the gym this week and I am eager to see how much I continue to lose. Thank you so much for your book. Elizabeth

Marvelous!! Thanks to men and women like you who walk the walk and spread the word, more people every day are saying, "what the heck," and being mighty glad they did. It's great to hear how much you're enjoying life now! Isn't that what it's all about? :-)

Hi Heidi, Me and my two girls have been on the blood type diet for almost 5 years now. Both my girls are AB and i'm an O, and all three of us suffer from a rare illness called Behcets Disease. Being on this diet has lessend our symptoms for sure. I've tested it also, we all went off the diet for a month and we were all very sick and the doctors could not understand why. I explained what I was doing,so they would see the connection. Still didn't work, though. I thank Dr. Adamo and all that help and support his beliefs. Without his knowledge, my family may not be here. Catherine

Catherine, you have made my day. It is so joyful for me to see how these plans can change people's lives for the better. Peter can write a thousand books, you know, yet it is up to the reader to decide whether to make use of what they learn. You decided to do so, for yourself and your girls. You deserve all the credit in the world for committing to healing yourselves, no matter how many "authoritative individuals" couldn't figure it out. Guess you're smarter than they are. Many thanks for sharing your story with me! And please stay in touch!!

Hi Heidi, I am a type B secretor with candida. I have been following the diet for about 3 months now, along with a typical yeast-free diet and a supplement protocol from my Naturopathic physician for candida. By the way, she highly recommended the BTD diet. Although I do feel much better, I have been battling this for 4 years now, and my doctor advised it would probably take another year before I saw significant improvement. My question is can you just clarify a few things for me? Event though I feel better I'm still sometimes confused by my food choices because some of the things on ER4YT cannot be eaten on a typical candida diet, and some things eaten on a candida diet cannot be eaten on ER4YT (examples: fruit juices, stevia, honey, molasses, sweet potatoes, oats, etc) I try to just listen to my body and eat what I think is best for me, but is modifying the ER4yT to fit candida the correct thing to do, or if I just solely followed ER4YT would that cure my candida? Sorry to be so long-winded, it's just hard to explain my four years of diet frustration in one small paragraph. Thank you, Andrea

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Hello, Andrea ~~ :-) Four years is a long time to battle a health problem, and you have every right to feel frustrated!! Don't worry, you've just begun this diet, and it is working its magic as we speak. The simple rule to follow when you're on a therapeutic regimen: look at your candida food list, choose the foods that are neutral or beneficial for B secretors, and discard any items from that list that are avoids for you. I know, it makes for a limited selection, but it's not forever!! Get your beneficial meats, greens, and fats especially! and downplay the grains until you're feeling better.

Further, I think we can speed up that one-year prognosis a bit. Do you use a meditation or visualization practice? Twice per day for ten or fifteen minutes, whenever you wish. This is a powerful weapon to strengthen the immune system for type Bs especially, and resolving the candida overgrowth means re-balancing the center of immunity: your intestinal flora & fauna. Use plenty of the herb rosemary and olive oil in your food. Additionally, supplement with the PolyFlora-B probiotic and ARA6, every day. The Blood Type Encyclopedia has specific protocols for your purposes, of which I'll suggest just a few things here: tinctures of oregano (4-7 drops twice daily), thyme (5-10 drops twice daily) and coriander seed (2-3 drops, twice daily) for six weeks.

... and ... call me in the morning? *lol* Thanks for your message, Andrea ~ don't be too perturbed by this long process. All is going well, and faster than you may imagine now... just stick with it, and you'll be glad you did!

:->

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From South Africa. I am blood type B. Don't find the following in your book under type B diet: pecan nuts, trout, sucrose (as a basis for fruit juice) Can you please advise. -- Altus

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~ enter "pecan" or "trout" and remember to hit the "search" button, since your keyboard's enter key will not work on that page. Your answers are all there! ... well, most of them. We do not have a listing for sucrose per se, but it is identical to table sugar, which you'll find under "sugar." Thanks for writing!!

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Hello!!! I am a 40yr old African American female who is type B- and I have been taking Pro-berry caps for 2yrs and for the first time in my life I have not had a cold or flu or sinus problem for 2 yrs. I take them all year is this good? should I give my system a break, I work in the hospital (Respiratory Therapist)and I am exposed to so many things. Also I was wondering...My mom was O+ and my dad is B+ does that mean they both were +/- for me to be B- ? Thank you and GOD BLESS. Marla

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Have a wonderful HEALTHY winter, dear!! :-D

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I have had rheumatoid arthritis for over 18 years. In that time I have taken very strong anti-inflammatory drugs. One, called Methatrexate, put me in the hospital with intestinal bleeding. Before going on the Blood Type Diet, I was taking 800mg of ibuprofen a day. After being on the program for a week, I take very little if no medication. While in a lot of respects I feel very good, for some reason I'm waking up at 3:00 and 4:00 in the morning, whereas I did not have this problem before. Could this problem be linked to my sudden change in diet? Also, with all of the medications I have taken for my rheumatoid , how long would it take for my body to detox itself? Diane

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Hi, Diane ~ whew! I am SO glad you are off those drugs. Scares me just thinking how many people never find the path away from them. And you saw these results in only a week? mighty fine, dear!!! As you heal, you may experience sleep disturbances ~ this is not a bad thing. The organs have a "cleaning clock," and yours are undoubtedly (joyfully) going about their renewed business of getting rid of the toxins and healing themselves. This may mean you pop awake for an hour or so in the middle of your normal sleep schedule ~ just get up for a little while, have a glass of water or cup of soothing herb tea to help detox along, even do some stretches if you like, and enjoy the midnight air for a bit. When you feel sleepy again, go back to bed. Your detoxification will proceed at its own pace, and I'd suggest just holding firm to your diet and letting the rest "do itself." It will all resolve in its own good time, but you'll keep feeling better along the way. Improvements! Lord, how I love 'em!! ~:-D

I have a question about the relationship of behavior/personality type, blood type, and supplements for neurochemical balance and stress response. I will use myself as an example.

I am blood type O. However, I fit the description of "Type C Behavior" personality type described in the blood type A section of the LR4YT book better then the "Type A behavior" personality type described in the blood type O section of the book. Using the personality test on the web site I tested as a ISTP. However, I am blood type O from the standpoint I have always believed I feel better when I get regular intense physical exercise.

It appears from the text in the "Emotional Equalizers" sections of the LR4YT book for each blood type that what is recommended in each section is based on the tendency for each blood type to exhibit a particular behavior/personality type, not specifically on blood type. Therefore, the information appears to be more directed at an individuals behavior/personality type versus their blood type. Is this true? Should a person follow the recommendations from the section that best describes their behavior/personality type or just follow recommendations from the section from their blood type?

To be even more specific, which "Emotional Equalizers" section of the LR4YT book concerning adaptogens and neurochemical supplements and which blood type section of the Anti-Stress protocol from the The Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia book should I follow? If I believe I am a "Type C Behavior" person, can I safely use and follow, and should I, the recommendations for blood type A from the two books? Up to this point I have been following the recommendations for blood type Os. I am asking these questions because I am suffering from stress problems, including adrenal fatigue and/or low thyroid function.

Related to this, should I cut back or stop intense physical exercise, which is primarily bike racing? Should I take up Yoga and other exercise forms recommended for blood type As? Background: I am male, 46, 5'10", 146 lbs, type O negative secretor, resting heart rate in the mid to upper 40s', blood pressure in the range of 110/65, an avid racing cyclist as well as enjoy and participate in many other forms of exercise, particularly intense exercise. My weight has been fairly stable for many years, +/- 4 lb range. I have been following the BTD for almost 7 months and even though I basically changed my diet cold turkey I have been improving my compliance as I have learned more, found food sources such as organic range fed beef, etc. I have been under a lot of emotional stress the past few years including chronic sinus problems, divorce involving adolescent children, declining health of elderly parents, job loss, and the biggest problem right now is continuing lengthy unemployment, etc. I appreciate any help and advice you can give me. Thanks! Don

Hello, Don ~ This is a question many people ask ~ introspective, shy, retiring Type Os... outgoing and/or aggressive Type As.... should they use the blood type stress-handling paradigm, or do they not "fit," somehow?

It's important to remember that Peter's description of the "behavior types" and the blood types is merely an observation that they often, or seem often, to go together --it is not to be taken as predictive of the individual's biochemical response to food and exercise.

Among individuals of any given blood type, we can find examples of every behavior type, and M-B personality type (ISTP, ENFJ, etc.). The recommendations for diet, activity and supplementation are keyed to physiology, so for you, the type O plan is the one to follow.

I am "INFJ," and near your age and size. I require that strenuous exercise, and I feel even better with the addition of meditation. It has been my personal experience, and that of nearly all the reports I've heard from others, that just about everyone benefits from a skilled stress-reduction practice such as the kriyas outlined in Meditation as Medicine by Dr. Dharma Singh Khalsa, or a form of meditation like Transcendental Meditation (tm), which has a multitude of scientific research showing it 'does the job.' ~~ No matter what your blood type.

God, I feel for you, Don -- you've been under a huge and changing emotional burden for years. It's small wonder you're feeling the strain of it all! Yes, adaptogens can help; yes, exercise and meditation will allow your body and mind to bear up better under the load you are carrying; but as Peter once said, the diet cannot do it all. "If your shoes are too small, your feet will still hurt." What these plans do is bolster one's mental, emotional and physical strength so we're better able to GET those bigger shoes, or that new job, or that calmer lifestyle for ourselves.

There's only so much one guy can handle! Is there anything you're dealing with that you can just "SAY NO" to? Establish better boundaries? It's not my province to offer that kind of advice, but it just popped out. If it helps, great -- if not, just ignore me. :-)

What I CAN say with certainty that seven months is a goodly time on the diet, but things grow easier and its effects become stronger as time goes by. I'm celebrating the beginning of my sixth year on this plan, and I have faced some of the issues and asked myself some of the questions you are asking now.

Stick with the O diet, supps, & exercise ~ get plenty of sleep daily ~ and add a deep-reaching meditation practice. This is the "golden road" to well-being, particularly for those of us with long-term weighty matters to attend to.

You'll do beautifully, Don. I know you will. Let me know if there is anything else I can offer! And thank you for writing to me! :-D